


Whisperings, Champagne, and Stars

by puppetclown



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-02 11:15:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17263247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puppetclown/pseuds/puppetclown
Summary: It's New Year's Eve. College student Nagito Komaeda scarcely knows how to function in class. Being in such a crowded, bumbling party was the last thing he wanted. Yet his classmate, Ibuki Mioda, has insisted that he come, and he doesn't want to let yet another person down this time.Hajime Hinata has a handful of people to talk to, but hates the loudness and chaos. Despite his discontempt, his friend Chiaki Nanami convinces him to attend.How could the two of them get through a party they don't even want to attend?





	Whisperings, Champagne, and Stars

9:00pm

From outside on the snowy, starlit night, Komaeda hesitantly reached for the door, taking a deep breath. He was reluctant to come, but Mioda had insisted, and he did not want to bring down her happy energy. He walked into the rented-out clubhouse to see streamers, bottles, champagne glasses, glowing lights, glitter, and ribbons scattered. The room was buzzing with his classmates talking and loud music.  _ No one will notice if I... _ he thought to himself, on the verge of opening the door just to leave again. However, just then, Mioda came behind him and put both hands on his shoulders. "I'm so glad you came!" she said, bouncing with each word. He smiled to her, defeated.  _ Never mind that _ ... He just had to make it through one party. How bad could it be to just sit here?

Mioda went around, personally greeting each guest with a smile. When she left, Komaeda found a chair in the corner of the room to himself. At some point, he was offered a bloody mary by noticeably-drunk Nekomaru Nidai, but he quickly passed on the offer. Besides that, no one bothered to talk to him. He felt invisible in the jubilant chaos of the party. _ Why would anyone want to notice someone like me anyways _ , he thought to himself. He looked down at the counter at his own hands. He was out of place there, just like everywhere else. He did not want to risk having Mioda notice his absence, but feeling this alone in a crowded room made his stomach feel empty. 

\---

9:30pm

"I don't even like parties," Hinata told Nanami, no longer able to conceal his irritation. "Why are we even here?"

"Mioda wanted everyone to come..." She had a Game Boy Advance in her hand as she walked with the him. "You don't have to be such a buzzkill."

"Hmph." Hinata did not bother arguing with her. He scanned the room.  _ This is fucking ridiculous. Why can't I just stay in my dorm for the night and watch the ball drop on TV?  _ He sighed and took off his faux-leather jacket, hanging it up on a coat rack. He scanned the room, looking for somewhere to sit down. He felt like he was going to get a headache already, and the party had only just begun.

\---

9:45pm

Komaeda sat with his head in his crossed arms on the counter. "Why did she even want me here to begin with?" he asked himself, feeling cold. "It's not that I'm of any use to anyone here." He realized he was talking to himself and let out a long sigh. He then lifted his head. Looking around, he saw familiar faces, but not a single one wanted to so much as talk to him. _ I don't blame them at all _ . He watched everyone absently. Some danced, some swung back and forth drunkenly, some made oh-so-familiar small talk with one another, some quietly chattered among themselves. He felt like he was watching a film, rather than actually being there. That changed quickly.

A familiar looking man sat down in the chair next to him, fiddling with his phone and keys in his pocket before clumsily grabbing a mimosa from the counter. He turned to Komaeda with a confused expression on his face. "Oh, hey," he said, barely making eye contact.

"Hi..." Komaeda watched the other man as he took a sip of his mimosa and gave a non-directed glare. "I'm Nagito Komaeda, I think I've seen you before, but I don't think we've been properly introduced." He extended his hand to the other man.  _ This is how it's supposed to go, right? _

The man stared back at first, looking unsure if he was the one being addressed. "I'm Hajime Hinata, nice to meet you, I guess." He shook hands with Komaeda, then rested his elbows on the counter. "I really do not want to be here."

Komaeda nodded along. "I know the feeling. I really don't belong in parties."

Hinata let out a huff of air and sat silently, staring off into space. Komaeda wanted to say more, but he was unsure of how to approach his classmate. The two sat in uncomfortable silence before Hinata spoke up again. "I want to go home."

"I do too..." Komaeda admitted. He looked back up at the other man. "Do you want to go outside for a little bit? I don't think anyone would be mad at us as long as we just stay out on the patio." 

Hinata grabbed his coat and slid it over his shoulders. “Alright, why not,” he grunted and started out towards the patio, Komaeda hesitantly following behind him. He opened the sliding door into the winter night. He wrapped a scarf around his neck then looked to Komaeda. “Aren’t you cold?” he asked, noticing how light the other man’s jacket was.

“I’m always cold, it makes no difference to me.” He put his hands in his pocket and sat down on one of the two chairs outside. Komaeda watched his classmate take a seat near him and began to relax. “You look sharp tonight, Hinata,” he commented with nonchalance. He was trying to sport a more casual demeanor. Yet he meant what he said, eyeing the other man up and down.

Hinata adjusted his tie. “Uh, thanks.” He scratched the back of his neck. “You look, um, pretty.” His face puckered with embarrassment when the words came out, but Komaeda gave him a smile. 

“I’m not used to formalities like this,” Komaeda told him. “I’m a psychology major, but no one talks to me much in class. I don’t have a roommate, either.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry…” Hinata started, but he noticed Komaeda laugh a little bit. “Um, I’m a business major. I share a room with some guy named Souda, but he’s always out, and his personality is a little much for me, anyways. I usually hang out with my friend Nanami back in her dorm. I’m just not a parties sort of guy.” 

Komaeda started to smile, making unwavering eye contact with the other man now. “I’m sure people really like you, though.”

Hinata shifted back in his chair. “Ah, I don’t know about that…”

“You seem very kind to me,” Komaeda interrupted. “You know, you didn’t need to talk to someone like me, yet you’re here outside with me now. It’s an honor, really. Not many people want to be my friend, let alone so much as look at me. And for someone like you...” He trailed off, noticing he was starting to ramble again. 

“H-huh?” Hinata shrugged. “You seem nice enough.”

The two then sat in silence. Hinata stared at the ground, while Komaeda studied him carefully. Hinata’s figure was muscular, but not too much so, and his skin was a perfect tan. His shoulders looked tense and his eyebrows were furrowed. He craned his neck and looked back up. “Do you want anything to drink?” he finally asked Komaeda. 

“Oh, sorry, I don’t…”

\---

10:30

Hinata was on yet another glass of champagne, while the other man sat silently. “Uh, dance with me.”   
“What?” Komaeda looked up in disbelief.

“You can hear the music from inside. We’re both bored here. It’s New Year’s Eve. I can teach you.” 

Komaeda stood up. “Is this a joke?”

Hinata shook his head. “It’s one night, what do we have to lose?” He held out his hand and led him into the the snow covered grass. “Are you okay with me putting my hands on your waist? You put yours on my shoulders.” Komaeda nodded and Hinata led a dance to indistinct music playing in the background. _ What the hell am I even doing? _ He asked himself, letting the thinner boy lean into him. “Are you okay?” he asked, noticing Komaeda’s shaking.

“Yes,” he answered softly. “I’ve just… never danced before. I’ve never been this close to anyone, really.” He limply followed Hinata’s lead, carefully watching every movement and mimicking what he needed to do. “This is so… nice.”

“You’re doing very well for your first time, then.”  _ This is weird, isn’t it?  _ He sort of liked holding the other boy in his arms, and he couldn’t name why. “Are you sure you’re alright there?” 

“I’m doing amazing,” Komaeda said, smiling hazily. His messy, wind-blown white hair shone in the moonlight, and snowflakes dotted the tip of his nose and lips. He was sort of beautiful, like a porcelain doll. He leaned his head on Hinata’s shoulder. “Thank you,” he whispered. 

“Huh? It’s just a little dance, no worries.”

“You’re so nice to me,” he went on, allowing himself to lightly sway. “I didn’t think anyone would want to be near me.”

Hinata squinted. “What do you mean? You’re fine, don’t worry.” 

“I’m disgusting…” he muttered. “I’m pathetic.” 

Hinata gestured for him to lift his head so he could look at him. His eyes were a shining dull gray. Hinata lifted a hand to push Komaeda’s hair out of his face. “No, you’re not.”

“Don’t you hate me?” he asked bitterly, not blinking as he looked at Hinata.

Hinata rubbed a hand through Komaeda’s hair, this time more slow and gentle. “I don’t see why I would.” He pulled him closer without much thought. “I think I like you, actually. You’ve made this party less of a drag.”

“Ngh…” Komaeda let out a noise and relaxed into Hinata’s chest. “I don’t understand why you’re so nice to someone like me, but thank you…”

Hinata felt Komaeda shiver near him. “Do you want to go back inside now? I think it’s getting closer to midnight.” When he checked his phone, it read 11:30. Not much longer before the start of the new year.

Komaeda nodded meekly.

\---

11:30pm

Inside the clubhouse, Komaeda followed Hinata to a table filled with familiar-unfamiliar faces. “This is Chiaki Nanami, and this is Sonia Nevermind,” Hinata told him, gesturing to the two girls next to him. “I’ve known them since high school.”

Komaeda nodded along.

“Hello!” Sonia said, offering to shake his hand. “Nice to meet you. Are you Hajime’s friend?” 

“The honor is all mine,” Komaeda said, trying not to embarrass Hinata in front of his friends. “I don’t know, I just met him tonight.”

Hinata nudged him. “Yes you are,” he said.

“Alright, if you wish to associate yourself with me.”

Nanami looked up from some video game device, seeming half-absent. “‘Sup,” she said with a nod, not even looking up. 

Komaeda started to back away, feeling like a sore thumb with this group.  _ I’m being a bother _ … As he almost left, Hinata put a hand on his shoulder. “You okay?” he asked.

Komaeda nodded, melting at the touch. “Yeah.” He sat back down, leaning a little bit against Hinata. 

The brunette put his arm around him. “Maybe this year will be better than I thought.” The moment he said that, Komaeda felt warm inside. This was the first time he had let his guard down in years. He felt tired leaning into the other, soon zoning out comfortably. 

\---

11:55pm

“Hey, I think you dozed off.”  

Komaeda looked up dreamily at Hinata before realizing he was at a party, sitting at a counter, sleeping on another man. “Oh, my bad…”

Hinata chuckled. “It’s fine, it’s just getting closer to midnight. I thought you might want to be awake for it.” 

“Ah, yeah…”

He passed Komaeda a drink. “It’s sparkling grape juice, since you don’t drink.” Komaeda took a timid sip and watched his new friend take a sip of his own drink. “It might get kind of loud, is that okay?”

The pale boy nodded. “It’s fine.”

Hinata spotted his Mioda holding hands with some girl he couldn’t name, and Nanami clinging onto Sonia. He decided that this was a night of making in-the-moment decisions. “Hey, can I…?”

“Hm?” 

“Well, it’s New Year’s Eve, and…” 

Komaeda blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Will you be my New Year’s kiss?” Hinata choked out, feeling ridiculous. _God, what if he’s straight…_ he second guessed to himself. 

Komaeda’s eyes widened. “Me?”

“Um. Yeah. It’s fine if you don’t…” 

The party was buzzing. Some were cheering, some throwing confetti in the air, some drinking like it was the end of the world. As the clock got closer to midnight, people started chanting. 

10… 9… 8…

Komaeda leaned closer to Hinata, looking up at him. “Yes.”

“Wait, what?”

6… 5… 4… 

“I’ll be your New Year’s kiss.”

3… 2...

Hinata looked shocked. The man he had just met that night was really willing to be his first kiss of the New Year. How did he end up in this position? It was one impulsive decision after the other, but…

\--- 

12:00am

Hinata pulled Komaeda into a kiss, lips first awkwardly pressed together, but soon the two of them moved in sync with one another. Hinata tasted like champagne and stardust. When he finally pulled away, Komaeda was breathless. “O-oh…”

Hinata laughed. “Yeah…”

“Happy New Year!” Mioda’s voice broke them both away from the moment, pulling them back to the scene of the party. “Hinata is getting it,” she said, grinning brightly. 

Hinata wiped off his mouth with his sleeve. “Uh, yeah.” He then looked at Komaeda, who was still stunned into silence from the kiss. “That was good.”

Komaeda shook his head, trying to regain composure. He started laughing, feeling both flustered and enchanted. “Thank you, Hinata…” he said, a smile on his face. “I’ll see you around, I suppose.” He started towards the door. 

Hinata smiled up at him, looking utterly whipped. They squeezed hands one last time. “I’ll make a point of it.”


End file.
